Berwick tops Vandebilt in 11 innings

The Berwick Panthers started their season in dramatic fashion with a 4-2 win in 11 innings against Vandebilt Catholic in Houma Monday.
“I thought the kids competed as a team,” Berwick coach Mike Thomas said. “It was a team effort and the mental toughness that they had to have in that weather, I thought they did a good job.”
In the top of the 11th with the score tied at two, Bradley Gray singled and then with two outs, Ty Duthu walked.
With Gray’s pinch runner, Logan Angeron, at third base, and Duthu’s replacement on the bases, Ryan Hover, at first, Hover broke early from first and Angeron was able to score safely on the play.
The play, Thomas said, was designed to get the Vandebilt Catholic pitcher to balk, but he didn’t.
Thomas said Angeron did a good job avoiding the tag on the play and then beating the catcher back to home plate to score the run.
“It was a heads-up base running play that Logan did,” Thomas said of the play, which occurred with two outs and one ball and two strikes.
Hover moved to third on the play, and then a few pitches later, he scored on an errant throw back to the pitcher from the catcher.
D.J. Robicheaux, who earned the win in relief, retired the Terriers in order in the bottom of the 11th.
In five innings of relief, Robicheaux surrendered no runs on four hits with three walks and fanned two.
Neal Theriot started the game for the Panthers, and in 2.1 innings, he surrendered two runs on two hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Nick Mayon pitched 3.2 innings of relief and surrendered three hits, two walks and fanned one.
“Pitching was very, very good,” Thomas said.
Entering Monday’s opener, Thomas said Mayon and Robicheaux had no prior varsity experience other than Swampland Summer League baseball.
Vandebilt Catholic took a 2-0 lead after scoring single runs in the second and third innings, which Thomas attributed to Berwick miscues.
Berwick tied the game with two runs in the sixth inning.
Top offensive contributors for the Panthers were Duthu, 2-for-3; Bradley Gray, 2-for-4; and Brandon Fryou, an RBI.
Berwick had as many errors (seven) as hits.
Vandebilt Catholic had nine hits and three errors.
Berwick (1-0) will return to action Thursday when it opens action in the inaugural Tri-City Baseball Classic with a 5 p.m. contest at Berwick against South Lafourche.
Look for more on the event in Wednesday’s newspaper.

Tigers defeat Plaquemine
The Morgan City Tigers opened their season with a 7-6 win against the Plaquemine Green Devils Thursday.
No individual statistics were available.
Morgan City (1-0) will return to action Thursday with a 7:45 p.m. contest against Central Lafourche at Tiger Diamond in opening round action of the Tri-
City Baseball Classic.

Patterson’s game cancelled
The Patterson Lumberjacks’ season opener at home against Baker was cancelled Monday due to inclement weather. Patterson will return to action Thursday when it opens play in the Tri-City Baseball Classic against Northside in a 5:30 p.m. contest in Patterson.